Upgrades - how to - are they real??

[indycrew]

:cool: So - I am a three time cruiser with RCL - and hear and see that people get upgrades? Are they real? How do you go about requesting (begging)

an upgrade??

[MikeT718]

The upgrade fairy just has to look kindly apon you :p

[imatarb]

Unfortunately, Mike is correct. I don't think there's a rhyme or reason, unlike what some might say. We just received a major upgrade from a Superior Interior, Cat J, to a Superior Oceanview w/ a Balcony, Cat D1!! I was shocked, to say the least.

 

My theory on it is that we were previously in a connecting inside cabin, and I think they upgraded us to make room for a party that requested two connecting inside cabins. Reason? Everyone wins..we get upgraded, and we're happy, and the people who requested the inside connecting cabins are happy since they got what they want. ;)

 

Good luck, and I hope the Upgrade Fairy smiles upon you. :)

[cherylandtk]

Each cruiseline has their own unique differences in assigning upgrades. In Imatarb's case, the need for the connecting inside probably was the contributing factor. However, RCI is known for not granting random "free" upgrades; they generally do not upgrade except when they really need to the specific room and instead they prefer to sell upgrades at the pier. Early arrivals can sometimes score a very nice upgrade for a fraction of what it would cost to purchase outright, but it is not free.

 

Other lines have different policies; Carnival tends to give upgrades to GTY bookings only, Princess gives them randomly all types of bookings, but neither sell them at the pier.

[indycrew]

I kinda wondered if that was the deal....I will keep happy thoughts and click my ruby slippers and hope that I am one of the chosen. Ha ha. Thanks for the reply!

[kitty9]

Most cruise lines aren't giving away upgrades anymore. What you do find are "upsells" where you can get a different cabin by paying the full difference between your cabin and the one you want to upgrade to. Guarantees get the most upgrades, but not much of one. If you have an inside guarantee, you won't see an upgrade to a outside or balcony cabin, but perhaps just an upgrade to a better inside room.

[metney]

We were upgraded from Cat 5 room with ocean view to Cat 9 balcony stateroom by Carnival a little over a year ago.:p

[metney]

We were upgraded from Cat 5 room with ocean view to Cat 9 balcony stateroom by Carnival a little over a year ago.:p

[LOVETOCRZ]

We were just upgraded from a insided guarantee to a 6A:D

[stalco]

We are sailing the Carnival Spirit in December. Three couples booked last January. I booked a balcony room and picked which room we wanted. The other two couples booked an outside guarantee and they were both upgraded to upper deck 5 balcony rooms....... At least we are in the middle of the ship,,, they are in the back. Upgrades do happen. Never to me though.

[augustrain]

Our first cruise on Celebrity, we had booked an Inside Guarantee - first cruise, figured we couldn't go wrong. We were given an outside room on a high floor. My parents who needed joining rooms with my grandparents were also given an outside floor, but on Deck 4. Not bad!

 

We just got back from a Carnival cruise - booked late - 2 months prior to sailing and chose an inside room and were bumped to an outside balcony room. The fairy was definitely kind to us there! No idea why we got bumped other than perhaps there were no inside rooms open for the Guarantees? I also think the more people in your group, the less possibility of getting upgraded otherwise they can't keep all the rooms together?! :)

[flamomo]

I keep reading about "guarantees", but have no idea what it means. How does one get a "guarantee" and what is the benefit?

Would someone please explain it.

Thanx

[jetskier]

I keep reading about "guarantees", but have no idea what it means. How does one get a "guarantee" and what is the benefit?

Would someone please explain it.

Thanx

 

Flamomo,

A guarantee is when you book a cruise and do not want an ASSIGNED CABIN and wish to take a chance of getting a better category cabin but paying for the lowest category. An example is you book a Gty 4A inside cabin. You as a minimum will receive a 4A inside cabin but you could also be upgraded to a 4B-4D. Sometimes you will even be upgraded to a 6A-6D.

 

Again keep in mind that you always guarenteed the minimum cat in which you have booked. If you dont wish for an inside, then book the 6A oceanview Gty. The same would work for a balcony and suite.

 

Dave

[flamomo]

Thanks, Dave. Now I understand.

 

Flamomo

[geoherb]

We just got a visit from the Upgrade Fairy. We booked a category H on the Maasdam and found out we'll be in a category C. They're both outside cabins, but the cat. H cabins have portholes and the cat. C cabins have windows.

 

At the time we booked (32 days before we sail), there weren't any specific cabins being offered in cat. H--just guarantees. I think it was HAL's way of selling the remaining cabins without ticking off the people who had paid for the higher categories. This way, they don't see the price of their cabins going down to next to nothing so that HAL can fill the ship.

 

Celebrity does something similar by selling cat. W, X, Y, and Z guarantees. With a cat. Y guarantee, you'll be assured of getting at least an outside cabin. With a cat. X, it's a balcony.

[Kudos2Fly]

This time we did a balcony and got an assigned room. But normally we have always done GRTY. And only once where we up graded. But we have always gone on the "OLDER" ships. Not much of a chance for a upgrade there.

 

But next time I hope to do a newer ship. Then have more of a chance to get an upgrade fairy. We may do the Europe cruise with Carnival :D.

 

Kim

[VentureMan_2000]

My last cruise I was upgrades from an 8A to an 8F. On my upcoming cruise, I was upgraded from an 8A to an 8E.

 

So yes... it happens.

[indycaver]

Last April we were moved up 14 categories from inside grty to outside on NCl SEA a very old ship. Hope to get lucky on the new Jewel this year.

[ottmar]

I booked an inside cabin with Carnival direct and my Personal Vacation Planner suggested a To-Be-Announced ticket, I presure that is the same as a guarantee, but he said I would not find out what cabin I get until embarkation. If the inside rooms have been sold out I get an upgrade, if not then not.

 

On the RCI Voyager I also got a category X after booking the lowest fare cabin ($399 confirmed for 7 days, but they called and said that those cabins were all gone, thus the category X) and found out at the airport where they have a computer that I was upgraded to a cabin with a bay window on the second floor right over the shops overlooking the central promonade.

 

....Ott

[grammyof14]

We booked a balcony on the Jewel sailing next week and last week they offered us an upgrade to a courtyard villa. I'm in heaven:)

[Arwenmark]

I booked a BA on the Norwegian SUN because I need a HC cabin I booked my dauhter and her husband, [same cruise] in a BE guarantee and they got a BA balcony cabin.

[TigerSnorkel]

What is a courtyard villa? Just curious.

[Arwenmark]

On the ships that have them it is a 5000+ sq footvilla with huge deck and whirlpool and basically a small house.